A Report on the Pollution Algae from the Thrissur Kol Wetlands (Part of Vembanad Kol, Ramsar Site), Kerala

Nature Environment and Pollution Technology Vol. 7 No. 2 pp. 311-314 2008 © Technoscience Publications

A REPORT ON THE POLLUTION ALGAE FROM THE THRISSUR KOL WETLANDS (PART OF VEMBANAD KOL, RAMSAR SITE), KERALA

P. P. Tessy and R. Sreekumar* Department of Botany, Christ College, Irinjalakuda, Thrissur-680 125, Kerala *Department of Botany, Maharajas College, Ernakulam-682 011, Kerala

ABSTRACT

The present survey of algae was undertaken at four sites in the Kol wetlands of Thrissur district, Kerala. The study area lies between 10°20’ and 10°30’ N lat. and 76°5’ and 76°15’ E long. The analysis of algae in the study area shows eighteen pollution tolerant algal species, which were indicators of pollution. Out of the 64 genera found in the study area, 30 genera were pollution tolerant. INTRODUCTION The Kol wetlands perform a wide range of functions that are essential for supporting plant, animal and human life, and for maintaining the quality of environment. This wetland area is exploited for products such as rice, vegetables, livestock and fish and all these activities are depending upon the annual rise and fall of the floods. The extensive water surface in Kol lands provides a rich favourable environment for breeding and multiplication of fish species. The Kol lands of Kerala lies between 10°20’ and 10°30’ N lat. and 76°5’ and 76°15’ E long. (Johnkutty & Venugopal 1993). The Kol wetlands form a unique aquatic ecosystem and are the rice granary of Thrissur and Malappuram districts of Kerala. The Thrissur Kol lands lie between Kecheri river in the north and Chalakudy river in the south. Kol wetland is one of the important flood plain wetlands of Kerala. Karuvannur and Kechery are the two major rivers in Thrissur Kol region. These rivers discharge the flood waters into the low lying Kol area and raise water level to more than three meters. The Kol lands constitute a significant part of one of the largest wetland systems on the southwest cost of India, namely Vembanad-Kol land system. Freshwater habitats are among the most threatened and valuable ecosystems (De Meester & Declerck 2005). They are the fragile ecosystems that are susceptible to damage even with only a little change in the composition of biotic and abiotic factors. All over the world, significantly large areas of wetlands have been lost or are degraded to different degrees due to various anthropogenic activities, which primarily cause hydrological changes (Gopal 2003, Junk 2002). There are no glo- bal estimates for rates of change in the extent of freshwater habitats or for the overall changes in their condition (Dudgeon 2003). The wetlands are under extreme threat in Kerala than in any other part of India due to very high population density and the homestead mode of habitation (Nayar & Nayar 1998). Most of the wastes of the human activities are released into the nearby water reservoirs, thereby polluting the water bodies and threatening the biota. Palmer (1969) made the first major attempt to identify and prepared a list of genera and species of algae most tolerant to organic pollution. He prepared a list of sixty genera and eighty species tolerant to organic pollution. 312 P.P. Tessy and R. Sreekumar

Various scientists used algae for assessing the degree of pollution or as indicator of water pollution or for eutrophication studies of water bodies (APHA 1998, Munshi & Munshi 1995, Hynes 1978, Palmer 1969, Khan 1991, Biswas & Konar 2000). MATERIALS AND METHODS The surface water samples were collected at monthly intervals from the four sites of the study area for a period of one year. The work was conducted during 2005 to 2006. The collected samples were preserved immediately in 4% formalin and brought to the laboratory (APHA 1998). The identification of different algal species was based on the keys given in the taxonomic publications (Anand 1989, 1998, Prasad & Misra 1992, Prasad & Srivastava 1992, Prescott 1982, Sarode & Kamat 1984, Smith 1920,1924, Venkataraman 1939, Turner 1978, West & West 1907) and ICAR monographs (Desikachary 1959, Iyengar & Desikachary 1981, Philipose 1967) on algae.

Table 1: List of algal genera reported from the study area.

Sl. Name of Genera Algal Group No: of Sl. Name of Genera Algal Group No: of No: Species No Species

1 Cocconeis* BA 1 33 Anabaena* CN 2 2 Cymbella* BA 1 34 Chroococcus CN 2 3 Eunotia BA 2 35 Lyngbya* CN 3 4 Fragilaria* BA 1 36 Merismopedia CN 1 5 Gomphoneis BA 1 37 Microcystis* CN 1 6 Melosira* BA 2 38 Myxosarcina CN 1 7 Navicula* BA 1 39 Oscillatoria* CN 8 8 Pinnularia* BA 1 40 Spirulina* CN 3 9 Stauroneis* BA 1 41 Tolypothrix CN 1 10 Surirella* BA 1 42 Cylindrocystis DE 3 11 Synedra* BA 1 43 Gonatozygon DE 4 12 Chlorella* CH 1 44 Netrium DE 2 13 Chlorococcum* CH 1 45 Arthrodesmus DE 4 14 Coelastrum* CH 2 46 Closterium* DE 16 15 Dimorphococcus CH 1 47 Cosmarium* DE 7 16 Eudorina* CH 1 48 Desmidium DE 4 17 Kirchneriella CH 1 49 Docidium DE 1 18 Mougeotia CH 1 50 Euastrum DE 10 19 Nephrocytium CH 1 51 Gymnozyga DE 1 20 Oedogonium CH 1 52 Hyalotheca DE 1 21 Pandorina* CH 2 53 Micrasterias DE 7 22 Pediastrum* CH 4 54 Onyconema DE 1 23 Pleodorina CH 1 55 Penium DE 2 24 Scenedesmus* CH 8 56 Pleurotaenium DE 6 25 Schroederia CH 1 57 Spondylosium DE 2 26 Selenastrum* CH 2 58 Staurastrum DE 6 27 Spirogyra* CH 7 59 Triploceras DE 1 28 Tetraedron CH 3 60 Xanthidium DE 5 29 Tetrallantos CH 1 61 Euglena* EU 7 30 Ulothrix* CH 1 62 Lepocinclis* EU 1 31 Volvox CH 1 63 Phacus* EU 11 32 Uroglenopsis CR 1 64 Trachelomonas* EU 9

* - Pollution tolerant genera (Palmer 1969) CH - Chlorophyceae; CR - Chrysophyceae; CN - Cyanophyceae; EU - Euglenophyceae, DE - Desmidiaceae and BA - Bacillariophyceae POLLUTION ALGAE FROM THE THRISSUR KOL WETLANDS, KERALA 313

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION During the present study one 188 species of algae under 64 genera were identified belonging to six taxonomic groups. The Desmidiaceae was the dominant group with 83 species under 19 genera followed by Chlorophyceae with 41 species belonging to 20 genera (Tessy 2007). The Bacillariophyceae was less dominant throughout the period of the study in all the sites, which repre- sents only 13 species under 11 genera. The Euglenophyceae with 28 species belonging to four genera and Cyanophyceae with 22 species under nine genera were found in the study area. The Chrysophyceae was represented by only one species. The desmids are indicators of good water quality, which was the dominant group during the period of study. This indicates the good water quality of the study area. Desmids occur principally in soft or slightly acidic water habitats with rich organic and low calcium content (Prescott 1982). Out of the 64 genera found in the study area, 30 genera were pollution tolerant (Table 1). The analysis of algae in the study area shows 18 pollution tolerant algal species (Table 2), which were indicators of pollution (Palmer 1969). Presence of pollution tolerant algae like Melosira, Oscillatoria, Pandorina, Pediastrum, Closterium, Navicula, Microcystis and Scenedesmus has been considered indicative of enriched waters, thus, providing evidence of pollution (Biswas & Konar 2000). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS P.P. Tessy is grateful to the University Grants Commission, New Delhi for the financial assistance in the form of a minor research project.

Table 2: Pollution tolerant algal species found in the study area (Palmer 1969).

Sl. No: Name of Species Taxonomic Group Site No.

1 Chlorella vulgaris Chlorophyceae I 2 Coelastrum microporum Chlorophyceae I, III 3 Eudorina elegans Chlorophyceae II, III 4 Pandorina morum Chlorophyceae I, II, III, IV 5 Pediastrum boryanum Chlorophyceae I 6 Pediastrum duplex Chlorophyceae II, IV 7 Scenedesmus dimorphus Chlorophyceae I, III 8 Scenedesmus obliquus Chlorophyceae I 9 Scenedesmus quadricauda Chlorophyceae I, II 10 Closterium acerosum Desmidiaceae I 11 Cocconeis placentula Bacillariophyceae I, II 12 Melosira granulata Bacillariophyceae I, II, III 13 Synedra ulna Bacillariophyceae II, III, IV 14 Euglena acus Euglenophyceae I, II 15 Phacus pleuronectus Euglenophyceae IV 16 Trachelomonas volvocina Euglenophyceae I, III, IV 17 Oscillatoria limosa Cyanophyceae II 18 Oscillatoria princeps Cyanophyceae II

Site I - Pullur, Site II - Chemmanda, Site III - Palakkal, Site IV - Enamavu 314 P.P. Tessy and R. Sreekumar

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